Stockholm chosen to host Eurovision 2016
Stockholm, has been chosen by Sweden’s national broadcaster as the host city for Eurovision 2016.
The capital city was chosen by SVT and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
In selecting the city, organisers hope to create “a new innovative arena concept”, which will include four venues.
The Tele 2 Arena, Ericsson Globe, Hovet and Annexet will all be used to host elements of the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, after Mans Zelmerlow won the competition in May.
The finale will take part at the Ericsson Globe between 10 and 14 May 2016.
“It is an honor to be the host city of Eurovision Song Contest. Stockholm is music. Our city is boiling of activities that revolves around music. Creativity is close to our heart and we want this to be visible during the event. Hosting Eurovision is an opportunity for us to strengthen and stimulate the interest that music creates. We are looking forward greeting the world to Stockholm in May”, said Karin Wanngård Mayor of Stockholm.
“The solution with multiple arenas enables us to produce the Eurovision Song Contest in the Globe, have the press center at the Hovet and the delegations area at the Annex. The Jewel in the Crown is to take Eurovision Song Contest to the next level by incorporating Tele2 Arena during the evening of the finale”, said Martin Österdahl, executive producer of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016.
The Swedish winner of Eurovision 2015, Zelmerlow, caused controversy in Sweden in 2014 – after claiming that gay sex is unnatural on a celebrity cooking show.
Mr Zelmerlöw had stunned other guests into silence by calling homosexuality abnormal, claiming “it isn’t equally natural for men to want to sleep with one another”.
However, the singer apologised extensively for his comments and worked with Swedish LGBT groups.
